Speech recognition is the translation of spoken words to text and, more particularly, it is the real-time computer-driven interpretation of spoken language or transcription into readable text. Speech recognition technology was initially developed to aid individuals in tasks where their hands were busy. It can also aid people with disabilities. For example, speech recognition systems could be helpful for people who are deaf or cannot operate a standard keyboard, such as those affected by cerebral palsy or even arthritis.
Speech recognition systems are rapidly increasing in significance in many areas of data and communications technology. In recent years, speech recognition has advanced to the point where it is used by millions of people across various applications. Speech recognition applications now include interactive voice response systems, voice dialing, data entry, dictation mode systems including medical transcription, automotive applications, etc. There are also “command and control” applications that utilize speech recognition for controlling tasks such as adjusting the climate control in a vehicle or requesting a smart phone to play a particular song.
The performance of a speech recognition system is usually evaluated in terms of accuracy and speed. Therefore, regardless of the application, a goal of any speech recognition system is to accurately and efficiently convert speech into actionable commands or readable text.